KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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New Spectrum Allocation Chart

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No ham shack should be without a spectrum allocation chart. Now, Tektronix, the oscilloscope maker, is now offering a new one. Here’s what their website has to say:

New Worldwide Spectrum Allocations Poster Request Form

Thanks your interest in our NEW poster. It provides a color-coded view of the worldwide spectrum allocations for all ITU (International Telecommunications Union) regions. It’s the only graphical poster that shows the international spectrum allocations in an easy-to-find format.

There’s a form to fill out, so that they can get your address, and the poster will be winging its way to you.

PVRC Announces September/October Webinar Schedule

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The Potomac Valley Radio Club, one of the premier contest clubs in the country, has announced their Webinar schedule for September/October. Things kick off next Wednesday (9/9) with KR2Q’s “When GIANTS First Walked the Bands – The Early Days of Multi-Multi.” Doug’s presentation includes timeless photos and a nostalgic look back at the early days of multi-multi contesting. This is one of those presentations where you can put your feet up and enjoy a great trip down memory lane!

The schedule also includes the first jointly hosted event by PVRC & NCCC. Dean Straw, N6BV, will present “Hints and Kinks for Using HFTA.” Myself and Dean N6DE of NCCC had a chance last night to preview some of N6BV’s material. This is must see TV (Webinar)!

October programs include a return presentation by Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA on “Propagation Prediction Programs: Their Development and Use”, a follow on to his earlier Webinar on Cycle 24. Wally Stefanov, LZ2CJ, will give us a look at the LZ9W contest station and discuss their plans for CQWW 2009. You may have seen some of the pictures Wally has already posted. The LZ9W team has been very busy this summer!

There is one other presentation in the works for October which will be of interest to the entire contest community. Final details are almost complete and the announcement should be out very soon.

Our Webinar webmaster is recovering from surgery so the registration links have not been posted to www.pvrc.org yet but they will be in the near future.

You will be able to find them and earlier events under the “PVRC Webinars” link. In the mean time, use the links below to view dates/times, program descriptions, and registration forms.

Feel free to send comments, questions, suggestions to [email protected]

When Giants First Walked the Bands (KR2Q)
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/194362715

Hints and Kinks for Using HFTA – A Joint PVRC/NCCC Event (N6BV)
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/765264739

A look at the LZ9W Contest Station (LZ2CJ)
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/602693035

Propagation Prediction Programs: Their Development and
Use (K9LA)
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/265695923

Random Links

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Here are some more stuff from the Internet. I was going to do separate posts on these items, but decided I’m probably not going to get around to doing that, so here they are……….Dan

  • More wired Chinese tuning into amateur radio: Chinese amateurs now number 90,000 and growing. Thanks to KA3DRR.
  • KB2GSD, SK. TWIAR story on Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, available as MP3 download.
  • Daycounter Engineering Services Engineering Calculators. Ralph, AA8RK sent me the link to this page of engineering calculators, but he gives the credit to Shannon Herron for finding it.
  • Russian Radio. These are apparently electronic versions of the Russian Radio magazine, but I don’t have the Deja Vu viewer needed to open them, nor do I read Russian. :)
  • Old–really old–computers. Fritz, N4JVP, posted a link to the British Computer Conservation Society to the Glowbugs mailing list. The CCS is restoring several 1950s computers that were built using relays and vacuum tubes.

More Stuff I Gleaned from Twitter

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Here are thee more items I discovered via Twitter:

  • Ham Mag #6. The June 2009 issue of this free electronic magazine is now available for download (it’s a PDF file). This issue includes articles on a QRP transceiver for 20m, a 10m rubber duck antenna for the FT-817, and Chuck Blaney, a WWII radio operator.
  • Why Join a Ham Club? This article from the ARRL website makes the case for joining a ham club. It could be a little more detailed, but hopefully it will get more newcomers to join clubs.
  • Tesla Coil @NLL 3/3. This video shows Greg Leyh’s 40kW 11-foot secondary Tesla Coil operating at NLL in San Francisco for DorkbotSF Jun 4 2009. Very impressive.

My Twitter id is kb6nu. If you follow me, you’ll get tweets notifying you of new blog posts, plus various musings on band conditions and the contacts I make.